Leongatha South vs Tarwin

Tarwin is the younger of the two, with a median age of 34 against 44 in Leongatha South. In both, the large majority of households own their home, the large majority of homes are detached houses, and most households are couple families. On these figures, Tarwin tends to suit families with children and couples.

Which one suits you?

There is no overall winner — the suburb that suits a family with school-age kids is routinely the wrong one for someone commuting into the city. So each of these answers its own question, against a checklist you can see, using the same figures in the tables below.

Families with school-age kids

They split

one each way, out of the 6 things we measure here

  • Leongatha South carries lower crime risk (29/100 vs 47/100)
  • Tarwin is already more of a family suburb (82% vs 68%)

Weighs schools, house stock, crime, parks, childcare, and who already lives there.

First-home buyers

Tarwin

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • leaves households under less mortgage stress (10% vs 20%)

Weighs mortgage stress.

Renters

Tarwin

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • leaves renters under less rental stress (8% vs 13%)
  • has cheaper rent ($150/wk vs $240/wk)

Weighs rent, rental stress, and how much is for rent.

Commuting to the city

Leongatha South

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a shorter drive in (109 min vs 125 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (137.3 km vs 153.3 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Leongatha South

ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here

  • carries lower crime risk (29/100 vs 47/100)
  • has more residents already 65 and over (19% vs 12%)

Weighs who already lives there, GPs, walkability, and crime.

Investors

Tarwin

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (5.4% vs -1.9%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

Leongatha South and Tarwin drawn to the same scale. Both outlines are shown together, so the map answers whether they share a border and how their areas compare.

Leongatha South Tarwin
Hides rows where both suburbs match

Bars start at zero. Scores, risks and rankings are drawn against their full 0–100 range; other rows are drawn in proportion to the larger of the two.

Side by side, out of 100

Risks are inverted — shown as safety and low exposure — so a longer bar always means better.

Leongatha South Tarwin
Walkability 0 / 0
Leongatha South — Walkability: 0/100 Tarwin — Walkability: 0/100
Safety 71 / 53
Leongatha South — Safety: 71/100 Tarwin — Safety: 53/100
Low fire risk 88 / 100
Leongatha South — Low fire risk: 88/100 Tarwin — Low fire risk: 100/100
Low flood risk 67 / 59
Leongatha South — Low flood risk: 67/100 Tarwin — Low flood risk: 59/100

Demographics

Leongatha South has more residents (616 vs 59); Leongatha South rents higher ($240/wk vs $150/wk).

Leongatha South Tarwin
Population 616
+90% vs other
 59
Population trend (2016 → 2021) -1.9% +5.4%
Median age 44 34
Median household income $93,184/yr $99,632/yr
+7% vs other
Median weekly rent $240/wk
+38% vs other
 $150/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Leongatha South Tarwin
0-4 3.7% / 10.2%
Leongatha South — 0-4: 3.7% Tarwin — 0-4: 10.2%
5-14 15.1% / 15.3%
Leongatha South — 5-14: 15.1% Tarwin — 5-14: 15.3%
15-19 8.1% / 13.6%
Leongatha South — 15-19: 8.1% Tarwin — 15-19: 13.6%
20-24 4.7% / —
Leongatha South — 20-24: 4.7% Tarwin — 20-24: not among its largest
25-34 8.4% / 6.8%
Leongatha South — 25-34: 8.4% Tarwin — 25-34: 6.8%
35-44 10.2% / 16.9%
Leongatha South — 35-44: 10.2% Tarwin — 35-44: 16.9%
45-54 16.2% / 10.2%
Leongatha South — 45-54: 16.2% Tarwin — 45-54: 10.2%
55-64 13.8% / 11.9%
Leongatha South — 55-64: 13.8% Tarwin — 55-64: 11.9%
65-74 13.0% / 5.1%
Leongatha South — 65-74: 13.0% Tarwin — 65-74: 5.1%
75-84 4.2% / 6.8%
Leongatha South — 75-84: 4.2% Tarwin — 75-84: 6.8%
85+ 1.5% / —
Leongatha South — 85+: 1.5% Tarwin — 85+: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (16.9%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Leongatha South 55.3% couple families
Leongatha South — Couple Families: 55.3% Leongatha South — Lone Person: 27.7% Leongatha South — One Parent Families: 12.8% Leongatha South — Other Families: 2.1% Leongatha South — Group Household: 2.1%
Tarwin 82.4% couple families
Tarwin — Couple Families: 82.4% Tarwin — Lone Person: 17.6% Tarwin — One Parent Families: 0.0% Tarwin — Other Families: 0.0% Tarwin — Group Household: 0.0%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Other Families Group Household

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Leongatha South 14.4% renting
Leongatha South — Owned Outright: 47.4% Leongatha South — Mortgage: 38.1% Leongatha South — Renting: 14.4%
Tarwin 23.5% renting
Tarwin — Owned Outright: 47.1% Tarwin — Mortgage: 29.4% Tarwin — Renting: 23.5%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Leongatha South 99.0% houses
Leongatha South — Houses: 99.0% Leongatha South — Flats / Apartments: 1.0%
Tarwin 100.0% houses
Tarwin — Houses: 100.0% Tarwin — Flats / Apartments: 0.0%
Houses Flats / Apartments

Qualifications

Highest non-school qualification, residents 15+, 2021 Census.

Leongatha South Tarwin
Certificate III & IV 18.2% / 16.9%
Leongatha South — Certificate III & IV: 18.2% Tarwin — Certificate III & IV: 16.9%
Bachelor Degree 9.3% / 15.3%
Leongatha South — Bachelor Degree: 9.3% Tarwin — Bachelor Degree: 15.3%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 6.7% / 11.9%
Leongatha South — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 6.7% Tarwin — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 11.9%
Postgraduate Degree 2.8% / —
Leongatha South — Postgraduate Degree: 2.8% Tarwin — Postgraduate Degree: not among its largest
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 1.8% / —
Leongatha South — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.8% Tarwin — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (18.2%).

Property market

Leongatha South Tarwin
Median house price $1,025,000 —
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price —
same for both

Zoning mix

Leongatha South Tarwin
Rural and farming 98% 97%
Parks and recreation 0% 2%
Infrastructure and transport 1%
same for both
Zoning sets what may be built, not what is there today. A single address can sit in a different zone to the suburb around it. Zones as at 2026-09.

Development activity

Leongatha South Tarwin
New dwellings approved 170
across South Gippsland
same for both
Approvals change year on year +21%
same for both

Ranking within VIC

Leongatha South Tarwin
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 63% of VIC —
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 40% of VIC Higher than 19% of VIC
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption Higher than 36% of VIC Higher than 63% of VIC
NBN connectivity Higher than 61% of VIC Higher than 40% of VIC

Liveability

Leongatha South Tarwin
Grade B —
Score 55/100 —
Socio-economic band advantaged area
decile 7/10
 advantaged area
decile 8/10

Risk profile

Leongatha South carries more bushfire risk (12 vs 0); Tarwin carries more crime risk (47 vs 29).

Leongatha South Tarwin
Bushfire Low
12/100
 None
0/100
Crime Low
29/100
 Moderate
47/100
Flood Low
33/100
 Moderate
41/100
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 2
within 5 km
 0
within 5 km

Schools

Leongatha South Tarwin
Inside the suburb 0
same for both
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 0
same for both
Rated below peers 0
same for both

Amenities in the suburb

Leongatha South Tarwin
Parks & reserves 1
same for both
Waterways 10 1

Mobility

Tarwin sits further from the CBD (153.3 km vs 137.3 km).

Leongatha South Tarwin
Walkability score 0/100
same for both
Distance to Melbourne 137.3 km 153.3 km
+12% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 109 min 125 min
Electric vehicle share 0.4%
postcode 3953
 0.6%
postcode 3956
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 44
postcode 3953
 36
postcode 3956

How people get to work

Method of travel on census day 2021 — which fell during COVID restrictions, so working from home is inflated and every travel mode understated.

Leongatha South Tarwin
Car (driver) 63.5% / 52.6%
Leongatha South — Car (driver): 63.5% Tarwin — Car (driver): 52.6%
Worked from Home 23.5% / 31.6%
Leongatha South — Worked from Home: 23.5% Tarwin — Worked from Home: 31.6%
Walked Only 6.3% / 15.8%
Leongatha South — Walked Only: 6.3% Tarwin — Walked Only: 15.8%
Car (passenger) 6.7% / —
Leongatha South — Car (passenger): 6.7% Tarwin — Car (passenger): not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (63.5%).

Setting

Leongatha South Tarwin
Elevation 41 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 36 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 12.7 km 12.4 km

NBN connectivity

Leongatha South Tarwin
Connectivity score 30/100 29/100
Most common technology Fixed wireless
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
270 premises
 0%
23 premises

Climate

Leongatha South Tarwin
Annual rainfall 906 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 24.6°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 6.9°C
same for both

Council rates

Leongatha South Tarwin
Average residential rate $2,282/yr
same for both
Council South Gippsland
same for both

Federal electorate

Leongatha South Tarwin
Division Monash
same for both
Member Mary Aldred
same for both
Party Liberal
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Leongatha South Tarwin
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Leongatha South

Rural

Tarwin

Family Rural Young Families

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Leongatha South

Leongatha South vs Inverloch Leongatha South vs Leongatha Leongatha South vs Koonwarra Leongatha South vs Outtrim Leongatha South vs Nerrena Leongatha South vs Pound Creek

Other comparisons with Tarwin

Tarwin vs Meeniyan Tarwin vs Koonwarra Tarwin vs Pound Creek Tarwin vs Middle Tarwin
Full data on Leongatha South Full data on Tarwin
Unlock full address-level data — $29/month

Information shown is provided as-is from Australian government and commercial data sources.
Always verify with the relevant authority before making property decisions.
See Data Sources and How We Calculate for details.

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